Chapter 16 #2
Tia crosses her arms and glowers, like she’s caught him in a lie. “But there must be more. I mean, this Emperor’s, like, ancient, right? He should have a huge family tree by now.”
“He doesn’t,” Chase says, his voice hard and level.
Tia and I exchange a glance. “So what happened?” I ask.
He draws in a breath, his shoulders rolling back like a soldier taking an oath. “I kept the Brides away from him.” His voice is low and steady as his eyes find mine. “It’s my most sacred duty. To prevent the Nightmare King from claiming his Bride.”
I release a breath as I gather the words close, holding them around me like a cloak, keeping me warm and safe. “Like the way you’ve kept me from him in my dreams.”
His gaze darts away, as if he’s embarrassed to be praised for doing his duty.
“If Cora’s the only Bride left,” Tia says, “you must have a lot of time on your hands.”
A small smile touches his lips. “I do much more than preventing the King from claiming the Bride,” he says.
“I track mares that breach the barriers. I protect humans. I train Dreamwalkers to defend themselves. I seek out corruption. And as the years pass, I will continue to make sure Adric never fulfills the prophecy.”
“Dreamwalkers are people like me who can cross into other realms, right?”
“There’s no one like you, Cora. But yes. Astral projection’s the closest concept if you’re trying to wrap your mind around it.”
“An out of body experience,” Tia says. “Like where your body stays in one place but your soul—or whatever you call it—travels off to Paris or wherever. Right?”
“Spot on,” he says.
“And I’m the Bride because I’m the last of some emperor’s line?”
“That’s right.”
“But I’m not the last of my line—there’s Uncle Finn.”
“He has no children,” Chase says. “If something happened to you, well, I imagine King Adric would do all he could to see your uncle’s family grow.”
“Oh.” I picture Finn trapped in some nightmare cell and forced to breed. But surely Chase is wrong. Surely the charming king I met wouldn’t do something so vile. I mean, a shotgun wedding is bad enough. Forced breeding…
I shudder. Then I draw a breath, reminding myself not to jump to conclusions. “You mentioned corruption,” I say. “What did you mean?”
He frowns, clearly not loving the shift in topic.
“Come on, Chase. I need to know all of it.”
“Yes,” he says softly. “You do.” He draws a breath. “Most Dreamwalkers work with me, doing things like stopping Vex. We work to shore up the barriers and keep the nightmare creatures within their own realm.”
He draws a breath. “But some Dreamwalkers abuse their power. They hurt people in this realm or manipulate them. Some have knowingly abandoned their duty. Some convince themselves it’s for the greater good.”
Tia raises a tentative hand. “How can Dreamwalkers hurt people here?”
Chase looks at me, and I hug myself, realizing I know the answer. “Kill someone in a dream, and they die for real,” I whisper. “Or you can plant an idea, and they wake believing it’s theirs. Like hypnosis. Am I right?”
Chase nods. “Exactly.”
Tia pulls her feet up and hugs her knees. “And the Nightmare Realm’s real too? Not just imagination? It’s like a place where horror movie characters live?”
“It’s real. And its barrier is now the thinnest in the dreamscape.”
“And Whistler?” I ask. “What’s his deal?”
“A friend. An ally. He coordinates intelligence. Hunts. He is a valuable lieutenant and like so many in the Realm of the Others, he understands the havoc that will be wreaked if the barriers fall.”
Tia leans in. “How many Hunters like you are there?”
“I’ve trained many from the Realms of the Unseen and the Others. Once, I trained a few from the Nightmare Realm, but they proved untrustworthy. And, of course, I train Hunters from this realm—the Realm of the Real.”
“Others like me,” I say. “Who really go somewhere in their dreams.”
“Again, there is no one like you, Cora. But, yes. There are many gifted humans who have the ability to travel between realms. Many, but not enough.”
“What do you mean?”
“The barriers weaken faster than we can fight. Mares manifesting fully here like Vex did tonight—well, that used to be rare. It’s becoming common.”
“Why are the barriers weakening?” I ask.
“Adric’s forcing cracks from his side. Every corrupted Dreamwalker or breach weakens the protective veil between realms. Another millennium—possibly less—and the barriers will collapse on their own. He wants it sooner. Much sooner.”
Fear crawls up my spine. “And I’m the key to making that happen?”
Chase nods. “When the King weds the Bride, the barriers will be primed to fail,” Chase says.
“When the marriage is consummated, they will fall, and the realms will bleed together. At worst, humanity will end. There aren’t enough Dreamwalkers to protect those in the Realm of the Real.
At best, humans will find themselves in an unfamiliar landscape, most likely living as slaves to serve creatures with more strength and more magic. ”
“Well, that’s not good,” Tia says.
I shake my head, wishing this were the nightmare. But I know it’s real. And I know what he’s saying is true.
“Then what do we do?” Tia asks. “And how do we protect Cora and keep the Nightmare King far, far away?”
“First, you must both learn to protect yourselves. In sleep, in dreams, in between. He needs you, Cora. He’ll come for you, but he won’t kill you—he’ll treat you like a queen.
He can force you to wed him, but consummation must be by your consent if the prophecy is to be fulfilled.
You cannot give it. If you willingly sleep with him after you are wed, reality as you know it will fall away.
Believe me when I say you won’t like what rises in its place. ”
“I don’t like talking about it right now,” I admit. “You say it like it’s a done deal.”
“I will continue to protect you. But you must be prepared for the worst.”
I glance at Tia, who grimaces. “He’s right.”
Chase nods. “First, you must learn to dreamwalk. You must be as comfortable in the dreamscape as you are in the waking world, because the choices you make in the Nightmare Realm can either save this realm or destroy it.”
“But no pressure.” I glance up at his stoic expression. “Sorry. Gallows humor. I get it.”
I take a deep breath, then exhale slowly, remembering how Adric had also told me that soon I would have to choose. “When do we start?”
“Tomorrow. Tonight, you rest.” He opens a small wooden box and pulls out two small cloth pouches. “These will ward your sleep. They won’t stop everything, but they’ll help. Slip them under your pillow.”
He passes one to Tia and the other to me. Our fingers brush, and that electric sizzle sparks through me again. “They’re from the garden behind the bookshop,” he says, holding my gaze just long enough to make me feel a different kind of sizzle.
“There’s something else,” I say. “The people at Whitehall knew about dreamwalking. They offered to train me.”
“They have nothing to teach you,” he says coldly. “The Oneiroi Society has given up on preventing the collapse. They have another agenda.”
“What agenda?” Tia asks.
“They think if they deliver Cora to Adric, he’ll reward them when he rules all realms.”
My stomach twists. “Are you sure? They seemed like they wanted to help. And Vance knew my mom. He talked to me almost like he considers us family. You’re really saying they’re evil?”
“Not evil,” Chase says. “Just misguided. They’re like doomsday preppers. They think cooperation will save more lives than resistance. They see Hunters like me as the obstacle.”
The weight of his words settles like stone. Five realms. A prophecy. A king who wants to bed me to destroy the world. And a Hunter I barely know who swears to protect me.
“I should get you two back to campus,” he says.
Tia touches my arm. “You okay with all this?”
“No,” I admit. “But I’m done running from what I don’t understand.” I turn to face him. “If you can teach me to fight back, then I want to learn.”
Something flickers in his golden eyes—relief, maybe.
“We’ll start tomorrow,” he says. “And Cora? Whatever happens, you won’t face this alone.”